In Southeast Delhi's Sarita Vihar at least 50 shanties housing Rohingya Muslims refugees, mainly based from Myanmar's Rakhine state, described as the "world's most persecuted minority" were completely gutted in the face on Sunday, April 16. Nobody was injured or killed, however, there was 1 incident of minor injuries to one of the refugees. 3 cylinders also blew up during police rescue operation which was conducted fire department officials and police.

By

NewsX Bureau

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Updated

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16 April 2018,

8:18 AM

In Delhi’s Sarita Vihar at least 50 shanties belonging to Rohingya Muslim refugees were completely gutted in the blaze on Sunday, April 16. No one was killed or injured in the incident, except one resident of the camp who received minor burn injuries oh his hand. According to a report published by the national daily, Indian Express, 11 fire tenders were dispatched at the location which took 3 hours to stop the fire. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, the police said, however, it suggested that fire could have broken out from a nearby office building of the refugee camp.

3 cylinders also blew up during police rescue operation which was conducted fire department officials and police. According to the DCP of southeast Chinmoy Biswal, “A short circuit is expected to have caused the fire.” Biswal also said that they have also registered a case under relevant section under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against people at Jaitpur police station, and are trying to examine the cause of the fire. Meanwhile, families of the Rohingyas Muslims refugees have been temporarily shifted to a nearby camp and with NGOs helping them with food and water facilities.

One of the residents living in the camp, Mohammad Shakir, told the Indian Express that as many as 230 Rohingyas were residing there and the fire has caused much loss to them, including our refugees’ cards and money as the fire diffused very quickly, and the reason behind the fire is still unknown. We have been living here for six years,” Shakir added. They are an ethnic minority group, majorly comprised of Muslims who have lived for centuries in majority Buddhist Myanmar and are often described as the “world’s most persecuted minority”